Before your first orientation activity, there is plenty to do to adjust to life in Oklahoma City. With the excitement and sometimes confusion that comes with moving to a new town, we hope that the following makes for an easier transition to your college career at Oklahoma City University. The following ideas come straight from the Student Nurses Association and Kramer School of Nursing (KSN) students themselves, information that they thought would be useful to new students, particularly those from outside Oklahoma who are entering one of the Gateway programs.

If you have any further questions, please consult the University’s website at www.okcu.edu, or contact us at leriney@okcu.edu or (405) 208-5900.

Getting to Oklahoma City University (OCU)

By air: Oklahoma City is serviced by Will Rogers World Airport (OKC), located 6 miles southwest of the city center. Ground transportation from the airport is available by taxi, bus, and shuttle. Click here for more information.

By car: Oklahoma City is intersected by three major interstates: I-35, I-40, and I-44. Exits for the OCU campus are: I-235 (exit 2b West), I-40 (exit 149a North), and I-44 (exit 122 East). Oklahoma City University is located on NW 23rd Street, between N. Pennsylvania Avenue and N. Classen Boulevard. Directions are also available here.

By bus: The Greyhound bus station is located on at the west edge of downtown. Transportation to the University is available by taxi. Click here for more information.

By train: Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer has Oklahoma City as one of its terminal points, with service daily from Ft. Worth/Dallas, Texas. The Oklahoma City station is located at the west end of the Bricktown Neighborhood. Transportation is available by taxi. Click here for more information.

Weather Conditions: Oklahoma City is in a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and cool winters. Tornados are not uncommon. Tornado warnings are issued to the public by loud sirens and alerts on local media. The sirens are tested every Saturday at noon, so do not be alarmed if you hear them then when the weather is fine. Click here for current and average weather conditions in our area.

Geography: Surrounded by gently rolling prairie and plains along the Oklahoma River, Oklahoma City is at the geographic center of the state with a climate influenced by the Great Plains region.

Electrical Supply: Oklahoma operates with a 120 volt electrical supply, the common voltage used throughout North and Central America. If you are not sure that your electrical devices are compatible, click here for more details.

Public Transportation: Oklahoma City is serviced by the Oklahoma City Metro Transit with regular bus routes and service shuttles. Stops are located on 23rd Street next to campus, as well as on Pennsylvania Avenue and Classen Boulevard. For information on routes, click here.

There is no light rail or subway public transportation in the Oklahoma City metro area.

The on-campus mail room is located in the McDaniel University Center.*

US Post Office, 1117 NW 24th St., Oklahoma City, OK

US Post Office, 2401 NW 23rd St., # 12, Oklahoma City, OK

Shepherd Mall Post Office, 2720 N. Villa Ave., Oklahoma City, OK

FedEx Kinko's, 2125 NW 23rd St., Oklahoma City, OK*

Various Shopping

(within 3 miles of campus)

Penn Square Mall, 1901 Northwest Expressway, Oklahoma City, OK

Target, 5400 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City, OK

Wal-Mart Supercenter, 1801 Belle Isle Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK

Banking

A First Commercial Bank ATM is located in the McDaniel University Center.

The following is a list of some local banks near campus. Please check with your bank to see if they operate a branch in Oklahoma City.

Arvest Bank, 1301 NW 2nd St., Oklahoma City, OK

Bank of America, 4114 N. Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK

Bank of Oklahoma, 5015 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Oklahoma City, OK

Chase Bank, 2200 N. Western Ave., Oklahoma City, OK

Coppermark Bank, 4631 Northwest 23rd St., Oklahoma City, OK

First Commercial Bank, 2523 N. Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK*

First Fidelity Bank, 2000 N. Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK

Mid-First Bank, 2225 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City, OK

State Farm Bank, 2800 N. Classen Blvd., # 105, Oklahoma City, OK

Union Bank, 4921 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City, OK

Valliance Bank, 1601 NW Expressway, #100, Oklahoma City, OK

Wells Fargo has no banks in Oklahoma.

Money

In the search for extra money to cover tuition and living expenses, some have found that, in addition to FAFSA, the Wells Fargo Med Cap loan and Chase student loans are a great help. Even though Wells Fargo is not in Oklahoma, their services are available in this region. Check their websites for more information. Also, click here for Kramer School of Nursing scholarship information.

Entertainment

Oklahoma City offers several different forms of entertainment. Several online sources, such as www.wimgo.com and www.okgazette.com, have listings of upcoming events around town, or click here to see what’s happening on campus.

Accommodations

On-Campus Housing: Oklahoma City University provides four distinctive living and learning communities for undergraduates where you’ll find both private time and numerous opportunities to get connected to campus activities—and build your own home away from home. If you’re an upperclassman, you can enjoy the freedom and amenities of independent apartment-living at University Manor and Cokesbury Court. Click here for more information about on campus housing.

Off-Campus Housing: Living in one of the many apartments in close proximity to campus is convenient and allows for a nice bike ride that minimizes commuting, and could possibly save you money for a parking permit. Off campus living is easier on the pocketbook. Shop around the market and use Google map’s street view to get a perspective of the area. Private property management companies are a helpful resource for locating rental property. Roommates are also a wonderful idea when going through such a rigorous program.

KSN Program Needs

Computers: Microsoft compatible computers are the preferred computing device. Macs are acceptable if used with Microsoft Windows platforms. You must have a laptop (except RN-to-BSN students). See more information about on campus computer centers in the Support Services section of this webpage.

Printing: Each semester $40 is added at no additional cost to your student ID that you can use to print on various copiers around campus and at KSN. This pays for about 400 black and white pages. Color costs around 40 cents per page. Computer labs are located in various buildings around campus.

Textbooks: The school bookstore is now operated by OCU, so prices are predicted to fall. Textbook rental may become an option too. For more information on the OCU Bookstore, click here.

Gear: Necessary nursing gear for the Gateway Programs includes royal blue scrubs, stethoscope, pen light, safety scissors, school patch, and white shoes. Lab coats are currently optional. OCU’s bookstore carries some of the items required by KSN. Some students purchase these items online or at local shops around town. Others student groups purchase items in bulk for a better deal...you can never have too many penlights.

Support Services

Computing and Information Technology: The mission of Campus Technology Services is to provide and support information technology resources for the university in pursuit of its goal of continued growth in academic excellence. Campus Technology Services strives to provide leadership and be a model for excellent service across campus and in doing so, develop collaborative relationships to enhance both the teaching and learning and ancillary support environments at Oklahoma City University. For more information, consult their website here.

Internet: Internet connections are available across campus, with wi-fi hotspots located throughout the Kramer School of Nursing. Hardwire connections are offered in the student lounge in the KSN building, as well as computers for student use. Every classroom seat has hardwired connections for power and network/internet.

Student Health & Disability Services: In college, most students first begin addressing health care needs as an adult. Whether they come from another country, state or town, the health care system is complex, and most need help navigating it. The Student Health & Disability Services staff helps students understand how to locate appropriate care. They offer campus-wide educational and screening programs, focusing on a variety of health-related issues affecting young adults. Individual health counseling and teaching are available upon request. For more information, consult their website here.

Immunizations: The Student Health & Disabilities Services clinic is available on-campus to provide a range of services including immunizations as well as a $15.00 Tuberculosis (TB) screening. All international students are required to have a TB test within their first semester. If you have had that test conducted abroad, records of that screening will need to be brought when you arrive on campus. Please consult with the Student Health clinic here for more information.

Some students were previously employed with a health care company where all their immunizations and titers (blood tests to see if you are already immune) could have been performed for free or at a discounted price instead of paying the full price for these services after arriving at nursing school. Once here, the Oklahoma City-County Health Department at 921 NE 23rd Street provides some of the immunizations for free and others at a reduced price.

Call or email your program specialist at KSN for a full list of the required immunizations and titers that must be completed before your clinicals begin. If you have access to free or cheap immunizations and titers, take care of this before you come.

McDaniel University Center: A variety of clubs, groups, and services are found within the McDaniel University Center (see map for location). Click here for a list of opportunities that are available to help you make the most of your college experience.

Security: The Oklahoma City University Police Department is devoted to providing our campus community with emergency and non-emergency services in a timely and efficient manner. Additionally they are proactive in identifying and curtailing criminal activity and safety concerns. This is accomplished by providing ethical, well trained and dedicated police personnel and directing them in successfully confronting criminal activity though powers of arrest and apprehension of criminals and implementing professional crime prevention techniques. This preserves our goal of creating an academic environment that is conducive to learning. Their website can be found here.

If for any reason you need urgent assistance, are stranded, or have any other critical short-term needs at any time when the nursing school is closed, call 405-208-5001.

International Students

International Student Information: International students face a unique situation adapting to a new environment. This transition is one that OCU understands well, as we have students from over 50 countries currently attending classes at our campus.

OCU’s International Admissions Office is your primary source for understanding what specific tools and documents are needed to attend school. Information pertaining to visas, establishing student status in the United States, various documents, and other information can be found at their website here.